The Aftermath
by Noche de Estrellas
Summary: Betrayal cuts like a knife, but understanding that betrayal cuts much deeper. How can a heart decide what it wants when it is torn between what it was and what it has become?


**A/N: I've been trying to write this for ages and finally the words came to me. I hope that you enjoy and give me feedback. This will be a two-shot.**

* * *

The door closed softly behind him. In a daze she stared at it before crumpling to the ground. She felt pathetic and wronged in so many ways. Her heart felt like it had been ripped into shreds in front of her eyes.

_This whole time..he knew. He knew and he didn't tell me_

Gold tears cascaded down her face as the thought tumbled over and over again in her head. Staring down at her shaking hands she balled them into fists. Righteous anger coursed through her veins before it vanished leaving behind sorrow and pain. She couldn't even be mad at him. Not even a little. Her emotions so volatile at times were now stuck in disbelief and hurt.

Half-heartedly she picked her dejected body off the ground. Barely picking up her feet she walked to the bed and crawled into a ball in the middle. Her arms wove around her like they were trying to keep her together and she sobbed until she fell into a restless sleep.

_ _ _ _ _ _

"I am so sorry," he whispered brushing the hair away from her forehead and sighed. His eyes watered as he took in the sight of her. Tears marks ran down her cheeks and her arms were wrapped so tight around herself. He had done this to her. He was the one at fault for causing her so much pain. His heart hurt so much for her, for what he had done to keep her safe and alive, but it hurt more at the thought of what is to come.

Gathering his strength, he started to pull away from her. He had been watching her for hours now and she would surely wake soon. She wouldn't want to see him when she opened her eyes and he didn't know if he was ready to feel that yet. Carefully, he began to rise but was stopped by a tug on his hand.

"Keenan," it was only his name but so much emotion was held in how she said it. He half turned but stopped himself from looking at her. She tugged again. "Look at me." He shook his head, but couldn't stop himself from doing as she asked. Blue met green. "Why?" One question was all it took for his resolve to break.

"Because you love him. You love him so much that you would risk our court to save him from anything and everything," he paused. A single gold tear ran down his right cheek. "And I couldn't stand the thought of losing you because of a mortal. I couldn't bear the thought of our fey rushing into battle for their Queen and watching them fall at the hands of the High Court."

She let go of his hand and backed away from him, she stopped when her back hit the headboard. She shook her head sending black and gold tendrils thrashing to and fro. Shaking hands found their way back around her middle. "That wasn't your decision. I wouldn't have…our fey would've…," she couldn't get the words out, they were lies. Her body began to shake from the sobs she couldn't keep in anymore.

"Aislinn." She hadn't noticed that he had crawled toward her. She could feel her head shaking back in forth in refusal, but she didn't stop him when he gathered her in his arms. The sobs increased as she realized that she didn't want him to leave. That she didn't want him to leave her. And that made her feel even worse. "It hurts, Keenan. I…you were the only one I wanted. The only one who made me feel like I would be okay. I couldn't talk to my friends about it or Grams. God, you sat there and watched me break everyday and you didn't say anything."

Her eyes widened when she registered what she said. Feeling the anger she grabbed onto it and held on tight. Shoving him off her, she glared. "I cried for months and you said nothing. How long did you know, Keenan?" He sighed, "I was told that he was in Faerie the night after the rowan men found his belongings in War's nest. I decided then that I wouldn't tell you."

"You had no right." Indignant anger sprang into his eyes as the venom in her words pierced through his desire to stay calm. "I had every right," the words coming out in a hiss. "Sorcha is someone you do not trifle with and trifle you would have. Instead of thinking rationally you would have charged through the gates of Faerie demanding for him and you would have gotten yourself killed. Not to mention throw our court into a war that we would have surely lost. I won't risk you or our court, Aislinn but you seem to have no problem risking us."

Holding on to her last bit of ire, she practically spit, "You would risk us for Donia." He could feel his skin growing hot at her words. It began to grow brighter and brighter in his anger. "You are my queen. I would not and have not risked you for another. To even think…" The light slowly dimmed until it completely retreated back into his skin. He turned his back to her. "That day…I couldn't go back there. To see you so pale and your skin so cold. I was scared that you…died."

She could hear his voice cracking and the need to comfort him arose in her. The attempt to stifle it crumbled in the wake of his pain. "I didn't die," she whispered and wrapped her arms around him. "No, you didn't," he gave a mirthless laugh. "But, I felt you ebb. I felt your life shudder for the briefest of moments and the heartache from that nearly killed me. The only thing that kept me sane in that moment was the fact that you opened your eyes and you tried to smile. After that you passed out and I brought you to my room."

He turned in her arms so that he could see her. "I can't lose you, Aislinn. I can't and I won't. Don't ask me to." She watched as rain fell in his eyes. Nodding, she scooted off the bed and offered him her hand. They walked the hallways in silence. Sensing that the loft was empty, they smiled slightly. Their fey were giving them time to themselves. It was as much of an apology as they could give to their queen and a gift of sorts to their king. In their world privacy was hard to come about but this was the least they could do for them. They were not sorry for keeping the truth from her but like their king they were for hurting her.

She stopped in front of his door and turned the handle. They entered. She led him to the bed and crawled to the right where she usually slept and waited for him to join her. Looking him in the eyes, she said, "We have to trust each other, Keenan. It's the only way that this is going to work. You have to trust that I won't fly off the handle when it comes to Seth or our court. It's not just you anymore." He climbed in. "I know that, Aislinn." She shook her head. "No, you don't. You keep saying that we are a partnership, but you haven't treated me like an equal. Yes, I am your queen but I am also theirs. I give my word that I will put them and you first, but you must give your word to treat me not just as your queen but also your partner. That means don't hide things from me because you think I can't deal with it and trust me."

He reached for her hand. "I give my word." She nodded solemnly. "I still trust you. I shouldn't but I do. Don't give me another reason to doubt that trust." A tear dropped from her eye as she gathered the strength to say these next words. "Don't hurt me like this again." With that she closed her eyes. He watched her until sleep claimed him also.

-------------------

"Sir, do you," Tavish trailed off as he took in the sight before him. Like the rest of the court he knew that the king and queen had taken to sharing the king's bed but he was still not prepared for what greeted him this morn. Usually they were on opposite sides but today the queen was using the king's shoulder as a pillow and his arm was wrapped around her. Slowly he smiled and quickly backed out the room.

Making his way back to the foyer he turned to the mor…fey standing to the right. Eerily he still looked like he did when he was human, but power crackled behind his eyes. Smirking slightly he couldn't wait to deliver the good news, "The King and Queen are still asleep."

Seth reigned in his anger and tightened the leash around it. "I didn't ask for them both. Only Aislinn," he said calmly. "I can get her myself." He turned to go in the direction of Aislinn's room, but Tavish stopped him with a hand on his chest. "The Queen no longer sleeps there." Seth folded his arms. "Where does she sleep then?"

Tavish stretched out his hand and pointed down the long hallway he had just come from. He waited until Seth turned and it registered in his eyes. "With the King." Brushing past Tavish, Seth stalked down the hallway and opened Keenan's door. His eyes met the same sight that Tavish's had. Except this time, Aislinn was awake.

He watched her smile as she took in the sight of their position. It was small but it was a smile none the less. He began to back away but she caught the movement. Her eyes widened before they settled back to there normal state. She said, "We need to talk," before softly waking Keenan up. "We all do."

**TBC**


End file.
